After an installation of an object comprising a vessel-like or a pipe-like structure, for a subsequent passing of a fluid through the pipe structure or vessel structure, it may be beneficial to be able to determine whether there is a fluid flow present within the pipe-structure or vessel-structure as intended. E.g. when installing a pipe and subsequently connecting the pipe for obtaining a fluid flow, information whether the desired flow is present within the pipe-structure is beneficial for determining whether the installation was successful.
In the context of medical applications, for example after a transplantation procedure, medical personnel may be required to monitor a patient, in particular with regard to whether the patient's body is accepting a transplanted organ and/or whether the medical procedure was successful with regard to the transplantation itself, e.g., it may be required to monitor whether a transplanted organ is sufficiently circulated by bodily fluids. This may be done by determining from outside the body whether an object is fluid circulated, e.g. by determining its color or a by manual determination of fluid pulsation or fluid flow.
However, an according time to time manual check is a non-continuous monitoring procedure as well as comprises only an indirect manual determination thus a considerable risk remains that an according determination may be unsuccessful or that a non-flow condition may be detected too late for correction.
E.g. recognizing too late, that an implanted organ is not sufficiently circulated by fluid, may result in serious complications, e.g. even the abandonment of the organ by the host's body.
Thus, there may be a need for a sensor for determining a physical, biological or physiological parameter, in particular for continuously determining said parameter, which sensor furthermore may be easily removable, e.g. without an additional procedure.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,251 describes a surgical drain comprising a sensor for monitoring a condition of an anatomical side of fluid emitted from the side where the surgical drain is placed. The surgical drain is mechanically fixed to the anatomical side by an anchor element.